There was even a delusion one that sounded like a lot of fun.
“If you want to see Dante still, he’s in the basement,” Beatrix said as we stepped onto the stairs.
She led the way to the modest kitchen. There were three other witches in there, but before we could really look at them, Beatrix was ushering us forward. “Hurry up before my patience really runs out.”
Maciah went down the second set of stairs first. The magic became heavier with every step we took, running along my skin almost as if it was tasting me.
“He’s in the corner,” Beatrix said and pointed.
The space was all concrete and wood beams with no life, unlike the main part of the house. I turned to where the witch had gestured, shocked to see that there was nothing keeping the vampire locked up. I knew she’d said he was reformed, but still…I wouldn’t have trusted him in my house.
His eyes were darker than Maciah’s with streaks of red bleeding through them, getting brighter the longer he glared at us. There were circles under his eyes, and his lips thinned beneath his crooked nose.
“I thought you said he was reformed?” Zeke asked.
“If you’d have seen him before, you’d agree. The only time that vampire was calm prior to me getting a hold of him was when he thought he was going to get lucky and needed to keep up appearances,” Beatrix said.
“What are they doing here?” Dante asked.
“They’re trying to kill Viktor. I thought you could give them something useful,” Beatrix replied with a forced smile.
Dante laughed darkly. “Nobody can get close enough to Viktor to kill him.”
“We don’t have to get close to him. He’s going to come to us,” Maciah said, and I hoped that was true. Going to Silas had resulted in one too many surprises for me to want to repeat that tactic.
“Well, then I wish you luck,” the vampire said, almost sounding genuine. “I have nothing that can help you,” he added.
I turned Maciah toward me and lowered my voice as much as I could. “I could do that thing.”
“Absolutely not.”
Yeah, I kind of figured that would be his answer. He was still firmly against too many people knowing about my heir powers. Plus, if Dante had been as strong as Nikki made him sound, it probably wouldn’t have been worth my time or the risk of letting another person know what I was capable of.
“Thank you, Beatrix, but we’re done,” Maciah said.
As the five of us turned our backs on Dante, he hissed, then spoke through gritted teeth. “I might have something.”
Beatrix nodded at him in approval.
“This is something I haven’t even told Beatrix yet because by the time I trusted her, I didn’t want her to get mixed up with Viktor. But if you’re really going up against him, then you need to know, he’s not a normal vampire.”
“What do you mean?” Nikki asked.
“His tracking skills are the best I’ve ever seen. So good that I’m nearly positive they’re not natural.”
Beatrix grimaced. “Like he’s using dark magic? From a witch?”
Dante nodded.
“Why would you think that?” Maciah asked.
“Because he keeps different supernaturals in his compound. A small pack of wolves, a few witches, and even a fae. They’re not allowed to leave their rooms, and nobody but Viktor enters them. Whatever he has them for, it has to be for his own personal gain.”
Everyone was quiet as we took in the information. I wasn’t sure how the revelation affected us, but I knew it was never good to go against someone dealing in dark magic.
Maciah offered a stiff nod to Dante. “We’ll let you know when he’s dead.”
“And I’m happy to stay here until that happens,” Dante replied, turning to go back to the single bed behind him.
We headed back up the stairs, and the witches from before were already gone from the kitchen. We went down another hallway and ended up in the living room.
Beatrix pointed at me. “I need you to come with me. The rest of you stay right here. If you try to sneak around my house, I will know, and you will pay.”
Maciah grabbed my arm. “She’s not going anywhere alone with you.”
I placed my hand over his. “Would we be here if you really thought she had ill intentions toward any of us?”
He glowered at me.
“Loosen the protector hat. Beatrix won’t hurt me.”
She made a half-laugh, half-grunt sound from behind me, not helping the situation.
“I’ll be fine,” I pressed, mostly because I was curious about what she had to say. Beatrix didn’t seem like the type to do things for no reason or on a whim.
Maciah’s hold on my arm loosened. “Hurry back. We need to get going.”
“Thank you.” I spun around before he could change his mind and we ended up in a fight, because I was going with Beatrix either way.
She was waiting at the base of the stairs for me, and I followed her up. Instead of going to the same area as before, she took me into a bedroom with light pink walls, white bedding, and minimal furniture.
“This was one of Junie’s rooms. She had it made for her niece Andie, but then something happened and the likelihood of Andie ever returning diminished. Junie always said she’d find her again, but there was always a reason why she hadn’t yet. A decision that has left ramifications my coven needs to deal with now that Junie’s no longer with us,” Beatrix said.
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked curiously.
“Because Junie once thought your father, and even you, were worth saving. She was my oldest friend, and I want to finish what she started. I did some searching after I met you at Warlock the first time.”
Beatrix was hinting at answers I’d been hoping to find one day. I didn’t peg the witch as someone to just hand them over, but maybe I’d been wrong.
“Junie and your father were friends. A secret she kept even from me. He was the only vampire she trusted. He saved her life one time, and she returned the favor when you were born in hopes of keeping you from a life Darius never wanted for you. I can see there’s no changing your path now. You were meant for this world, regardless of what Darius wanted, but I know if Junie was here, she’d help you.”
I brushed hair behind my ear as I turned away from the room and toward Beatrix who was still standing next to me. “So, you’re going to help me because of your friendship with Junie?”
“A little because of that, a little because I need to focus on something new, and a little because I’m curious what has you strung so tightly. Your magic isn’t meant to be restrained. The vampires with you might be doing their best to help you, but they can’t understand what’s inside here.” She placed her hand on my chest.
I was blown away that she seemed sincere with her words. She’d seemed so selfish before, but none of my internal warnings were going off, so I went with it.
“So, you do understand what’s inside me. How can you help?” I asked.
I followed her as the witch walked back toward the area we’d been before and reopened her cabinet. “If Viktor is really meddling with dark magic, you’re going to need to understand the power inside you in order to counter what he’s been working with for years.”
Beatrix opened a drawer and pulled out a vial of clear, thick liquid.
“What’s that?” I asked immediately, already knowing she was going to ask me to drink it.
“Something to loosen you up.” The grin on her face told me everything I didn’t want to know.
As much as I wanted to refuse, I also wanted answers. Ones that even Maciah couldn’t give me, no matter how much he wanted to. There was too much unknown about the original vampires. Too much about me that didn’t line up with history books. We needed to do whatever it took to find the answers we needed to beat Viktor.
Only then could we relax and have the life we deserved.
I snatched the bottle from Beatrix’s hand and popped the cork off. “I’m supposed
to drink this, yeah?” I didn’t figure it was smart to assume anything when it came to magic.
“Well, you’re not putting it up your pooper,” she replied, and I nearly dropped the vial from shock.
At first, no sounds left me, but then my laughter bubbled to the surface. It was real and not forced and exactly what I needed.
I reined in my chuckles and downed the contents in one gulp, surprised it tasted like sugar and not garbage.
Beatrix took the vial from me and pointed to a chair. “Sit there until you start to float.”
“Seriously?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, Amersyn. You can’t float. You’re a vampire. But you’re going to be unsteady on your feet in about thirty seconds. Now, sit.”
She pushed me into the chair, and I sat with an umph. My skin had goosebumps, and my hair began rising around me like there was static calling the strands up. I glanced above me, looking for something, but instead, it appeared as if the roof was growing taller.
My arms moved out to my sides, trying to steady myself, and a heavy beating pulsed in my chest. I looked down, expecting to see something there, but it was only my dress.
My feet came up in front of me, and I glared at the heels I’d worn. What had I been thinking? I preferred boots to heels any day.
Wait. Why was I in heels? Where was I? What was I supposed to be doing? The lights in the room dimmed, and I whipped my head around, trying to see who was there and what they wanted.
Then, a realization that should have frightened me but didn’t settled over me: I didn’t even know who I was. Was I supposed to be concerned with someone else there? Was I in danger?
As my pulse quickened, sharp points poked at my lower lip. I rubbed a finger over them, only to come back with blood coating my skin. Using my tongue, I did a once-over on my teeth. Fangs? No, not possible.
But as I said the word, I knew it was. Fangs. Blood. Vampire.
I was a vampire.
Yes, that was true, but I still didn’t know what I was doing or where I was.
“Look inside yourself, Amersyn,” a woman’s voice whispered near my ear.
I turned toward the sound, but nothing was there and the light in the room faded away faster by the second.
I closed my eyes and did as the voice suggested. It was a voice I knew I was supposed to know but couldn’t place. Inside me, there was light. It was white and full of energy. It weaved through my veins like fire raging in a forest. I reached to touch the wisps with my mind, but as I got closer, they moved further away from me.
I scrunched my face, following after the trail until it ended at a box. There was no more light, only darkness and a wooden chest that rocked back and forth.
I backed away from the chest, unsure if it should be opened.
“Not opened, but destroyed,” the same voice whispered.
Destroyed? I couldn’t do that. Could I?
There was a part of me hesitating, but I didn’t understand why. I trusted the voice. At least, I was pretty sure I did.
As heat crept up my spine, my instincts screamed at me that I didn’t have any other choice. If I didn’t listen to the voice, then things were going to get worse. I just didn’t know if it would be worse for me or for the voice.
Regardless, I ignored the concerned part of me and rammed my metaphorical fist into the imaginary chest, hoping I hadn’t just made a mistake that would cost me more than I was willing to pay.
CHAPTER 12
The white wisps I’d previously seen exploded into a frenzy of tornadoes as they whipped with intensity inside me, throwing me off balance as I dug my nails into the chair I was sitting in. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach, but I gritted my teeth and held on tightly, trying to fight off any negative effects.
The burning that had previously begun in my spine, spread out and covered every inch of my skin, but not severe like fire, more like I’d been laying under the sun for much too long. Then, everything began to itch, but my grip was locked down, unable to move from the chair.
“Almost done,” the voice whispered. This time, there was some glee coming from the woman.
I pushed through my memories. Everything was foggy, but I knew they were there. I just had to force them back to me. I lashed out at the white wisps swirling through me, trying to find my way back to myself.
I was strong and capable. Whatever this was, it wasn’t meant to overpower me. I was meant to control it. I knew that deep in my soul.
A throaty scream built inside me, and I released it like a banshee. Only, the sound never left my mouth. It merely echoed around my mind, rattling my bones until the energy inside me began calming.
Not just calming but getting smaller.
I tried to reach for the wisps, but they began attaching themselves to my insides, disappearing wherever they could.
As soon as there was no other light bouncing around within me, my fingers released the arms of the chair, and my eyes cracked open.
I was in Beatrix’s house. She gave me a potion. She helped me. Again.
I remembered everything as soon as I opened my eyes. The witch was sitting across from me with her ankles crossed and a smirk on her face.
“Better?” she asked.
A part of me really wanted to snap back at her, but I took a second to consider her question. The chest I’d locked the original power in was gone. My body felt stronger, more powerful than should be allowed. Almost as if I could destroy everything in my path.
“I didn’t want this power,” I said.
I didn’t want to be capable of destruction. I didn’t want people to seek me out because of what I was given from my ancestors. I didn’t want the responsibility that came with being this powerful.
“And that’s exactly why you have it. You’re different for a reason. Junie knew that, and I know it now. You unlocked your powers by bonding with Maciah as your protector, but they weren’t properly dispersed. No vampire before you has been capable of what you are. You needed a little magic to make things right.”
My hands roamed over my arms and thighs. There was an electrical charge everywhere I touched, but it wasn’t like before. I remembered Rachel telling me that the power wasn’t separate from me. I’d thought she was wrong, considering how I could lock it up.
Now that it was embedded in my body, I knew what she meant. We just hadn’t known how to make that happen before Beatrix inserted herself into my life.
“Thank you,” I said to her, hoping to convey the sincerity I was feeling.
I’d felt lost for a long time. Even more so since finding out that I was going to be a vampire…and then becoming one. Maciah had helped, along with the others, but there had still been an uncertainty simmering inside me that I had done my best to ignore.
Beatrix had blown that doubt to shreds with one vial of magic.
“I owed it to Junie to see this through for her. Like I said, she was my oldest friend. I don’t have too many of those in this world. You’ll learn it’s good to hold on to the good ones when you find them.”
Was this snarky witch getting soft on me? I was tempted to call her out but decided better of it. We might still need her help.
“Sounds like you were lucky to have each other for the time that you did,” I said, standing up from the chair. “I should probably get back downstairs before Maciah comes storming up.”
Beatrix smirked, back to her normal self. “Or you could make him wait. Might be fun.”
I laughed. “I agree, but we’re running tight on time. We have no idea where Viktor is, and we don’t want to be unprepared when we find out.”
She got up as well and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Just remember who you are, Amersyn. No matter what, you’re still the same woman you were prior to meeting Maciah. Your punch just packs more power than before.”
I nodded, placing my hand over hers. “I will. I promise. Viktor won’t stand a chance against us.”
That was something I fully believed as long as
he didn’t catch us by surprise.
“That’s the way to think. Now, go on. Like you said, time isn’t on your side.”
We headed back downstairs to find Nikki looking out the window, Zeke and Rachel on the loveseat, and Maciah pacing around the room.
Our eyes locked, then his gaze moved over me, checking for injuries, or so I assumed. “You’re okay.”
I nodded. “Better than before.”
“There’s no better witch than me,” Beatrix added as she brushed past me.
A small smirk played on my lips, and I shook my head at the witch’s confidence before heading to see what had Nikki’s attention. She wasn’t moving from the window, which raised a red flag for me.
“Everything okay?” I asked when I stood next to her.
“Not sure. Something just feels off.”
“It’s probably the shield around the house. Makes some people feel trapped,” Beatrix said, grabbing the bag I’d left on the table and shoving it toward me. “Don’t forget these. You might feel more powerful, but you’re going to need all of the help you can get.”
I took the bag and grabbed Maciah’s hand. We followed Rachel and Zeke to the door with Nikki right behind us.
An SUV passed slowly, and Nikki tensed. “I’ve seen that same one three times since we’ve been here.”
It was also the vehicle I’d seen when we arrived.
“Do you know them?” Maciah asked Beatrix as she moved to peek out the door, too.
She shook her head. “Never seen it around here. As long as you stay on the property, even the driveway, they can’t see you.”
Rachel and Zeke were already on the porch and stepped onto the yard instead of going out the front gate. As the rest of us stepped out, the vehicle stopped, leaving the engine still running.
I followed our friends with Maciah and Nikki at my side. We got halfway across the grass to join Rachel and Zeke before the car doors opened.
Two men stepped out—only one of which I recognized from his widow’s peak and beady eyes.
Vampire Vow (Scorned by Blood Book 3) Page 8